NEW PALESTINE — U.S. 52 reopened through town today after a five-month closure.

Crews have worked since March 30 removing the roadbed, replacing sewer lines and rebuilding the highway — called Main Street in New Palestine — from Gem Road to Sugar Creek.

Work on the $3 million project is not completely finished, said Ashley Hungate, an Indiana Department of Transportation spokeswoman. Crews will continue working to erect barrier walls, complete some sidewalks and do finishing work on pavement along the .6-mile stretch.

Crews hope to finish the project by the end of the year, Hungate said, well ahead of the May 10, 2010, completion specified in the contract.

Between now and the end of the year, motorists may continue to encounter one-lane closures “intermittently,” Hungate said.